Crew to set sail in search of real pirates of the Caribbean

Pirates of the Caribbean is a $4.5bn swashbuckling film franchise, and buccaneers such as Blackbeard and Calico Jack Rackham have captured imaginations over the centuries - but almost nothing is known about the life and times of most actual pirates.

- Dalya Alberge

A leading British marine archaeologist is co-directing an expedition that has for the first time been allowed to search for pirate ships off Nassau on the island of New Providence, a notorious pirate hideout 300 years ago.

No one has until now explored the seabed for their ships and treasure, let alone everyday belongings that could be as valuable to historians as a stash of emeralds, Dr Sean Kingsley said. "The potential is enormous," he added. "We are expecting to find some really cool stuff because this is the real home of the pirates of the Caribbean. Pirates didn't keep journals listing their lawlessness. What happened in Nassau stayed in Nassau. If we want to discover the truth, we're going to have to dive for it."

The Bahamas was a crossroads for trade and more than 500 ships